2025 Rocky Top Business Awards Nominations

Rocky Top Business Awards Eligibility

The Rocky Top Business Awards recognizes the fastest-growing UT Knoxville alumni-owned or alumni-led businesses. Each spring, the award winners are recognized at a celebration event where each award-winning company learns their numerical ranking and receives their award. The Rocky Top Business Awards honors UT Knoxville’s vast network of business leaders and entrepreneurs, bringing together a like-minded group to share experiences and insights with one another.  

 

COMPANY SIZE AND LONGEVITY

The Company must meet both of the following criteria:

  1. Have been in business for 3 years or more as of December 31, 2023 (cut-off founding date is January 1, 2021)
  2. Have had verifiable revenues above the minimum requirements of $100,000 for calendar year 2021 and $250,000 for calendar year 2023.

VOL LEADERSHIP

  • The Company must meet below criteria to be eligible:
  • The CEO, president, managing partner (or equivalent) or owner(s) must be  UT Knoxville alumni. To be considered an alumnus/alumna, one must have obtained at least twenty-four (24) semester hours credit.
  • The owner(s), UT Knoxville alumni, must collectively own at least 50 percent of the business.
  • Applicable dates from January 1, 2021, through December 31, 2023.

COMPANY CHARACTER

The company must operate in a manner consistent with the Volunteer Hilltopics and the student code of conduct and in keeping with the values and image of the University of Tennessee, Knoxville. The UT Knoxville Alumni Office reserves the right to reject any nomination/award and rescind an award for any reason.

Rocky Top Business Awards Timeline

  • To be considered for the application process, your company must be nominated. The nomination period is now open for the 2024 Rocky Top Business Awards.
  • Once the application opens, nominated companies will receive information on how to submit the application. The 2025 Rocky Top Business Awards application process will start March 1, 2024, and the deadline for applications for the 2025 Rocky Top Business Awards is December 6, 2024. The application form is fairly simple and only requires you to answer a few questions and attach documentation to verify revenues. For a list of the information required in your application, click here.
  • Companies that submit a completed application will be notified of their status by email. in early January 2025. It is expected that your company attend the event on May 2, 2025, in Knoxville so please plan ahead to attend should you receive notice that you are an award winner. The full list as well as rankings will not be released until the Rocky Top Business Awards event. If your company is an award winner, you must keep the information confidential until the event. A digital toolkit to share your award will be provided following the event for use after the event.
  • Companies awarded a Rocky Top Business Award will have the opportunity to invite guests to the awards lunch/dinner. Each award winner will receive two complimentary tickets and all other tickets will be purchased at the rate of the event. 

Nominations

Nominations are now open for the 2025 Rocky Top Business Awards. Companies nominated for the awards will be notified and encouraged to apply. Self-nominations are encouraged. A company can be nominated by anyone.

If you know of a Volunteer led or owned business that you believe meets the criteria, please submit a nomination! Nominees will receive an application link and can choose if they want to complete the application process or not.

To nominate a company for the Rocky Top Business Awards, please complete the simple online nomination form.

Important Dates for 2025 Awards

  • Nominations and applications open: March 1, 2024
  • Nominations and applications close: December 6, 2024
  • 2025 Rocky Top Business Awards Event: May 2, 2025